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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Hizbollah and the EU

The EU has finally recognized the "armed wing" of Hizbollah as a terrorist organization. After the bombing at Burgas airport in Bulgaria last year, in which five Israeli civilians and the Bulgarian bus driver were killed, it was difficult for the EU to argue that Hizbollah was not a terrorist organization. Particularly since the Bulgarian investigation squarely blamed Hizbollah for the attack. But, as usual the EU compromised, and declared only the "military wing" of Hizbollah as terrorist. However, Hizbollah itself and many other organizations, including the Lebanese Parliament to which it belongs, makes no such distinction. For them, all of it is in fact one, a terrorist organization. So what does the EU gain by not going all the way, they continue to try to placate the Arab enemies of Israel by half-measures and by twisting facts.

To everyone else in the West it is clear that Hizbollah is a fully owned and controlled wing of Iranian military intelligence. They get their orders from Tehran and are currently fighting inside Syria on Assad's side. Just as in the case of the EU declaring that all Israeli settlements on the West Bank are illegal and all their products are illegal, so Israel cannot depend on the EU to be anything but pro-Palestinian.

Why are we not rejoicing that peace negotiations are going to be underway after a hiatus of five years? Because the talks will only be procedural and we have become very sceptical and even cynical over time. The PLO may only be engaged in order to have some of their hard-core terrorist prisoners be released from Israeli jails. I object to this practice and I object especially to the Obama Administration forcing its good ally Israel to do something that it itself would not do. Having more murderers on the streets does not contribute towards peace.